Let’s talk about fenders....

[bshillam]

I am in the six plus a ball. I use the ball when I need to push the bow against a dock. Three on each side as I come into dock. I have been in places where I have needed to switch sides and not having to rig while docking decreases everyones stress.

 

[Beaverlake]

Re fender covers - when they get wet they are heavy; enough extra weight that my wife had a difficult time deploying effectively. In the PacNW most docks are floating, but there are times when one needs the fenders at rub rail height, not dock height. And another factor we had have is having fenders to protect our neighbors boat from us and us from them since we “share” a 36’ wide slip with one dock one either side. So it all depends on your home port situation (we have permanently mounted 18” ball fenders on the dock), your cruising grounds (locks?, no locks?), tidal range (easily over 10 feet up here), etc. we have a total of six fenders, 4 up front in rail mounted baskets and 2 in the cockpit. Cheap insurance vs gel coat repairs.

 

[JohnS]

In Eastern Florida and elsewhere, we have found fixed docks supported by exposed pilings, and I made a pair of 5 ft fender boards to solve the problem of fore and aft movement with wind and tide.

 

[ScottC]

After having to polish out "clouds" of minute gel-coat scratches in the hull, I decided to give fender covers a try. That was about 8 years ago. Result? No more "clouds" of gel-coat scratches



Most of the 8 years has been in brackish water. Fender covers get washed in a washing machine once per year. Additionally, some occasional scrub brush "washes" to clean off the worst from exceptionally slimy or gritty locks (where I generally use fender boards).

 

[Moby Nick]

We use fenders such as you show in the OP, Steve

I like plenty of deck cleats so we don't have to double up when securing mooring and spring lines, and I like at least two fenders to be handy at a moments notice, so we keep one on each side deck, horizontally secured between a pair of cleats. I think your boat would look fine with fender racks on the bow pulpit.

 

[jleonard]

Like I said earlier... it depends very much on your situation and cruising style.
Last year on the Trent- Severn Waterway we hit a series of closely spaced locks where tie up alternated from port to stbd. Having lines & fenders out on both sides saved a lot of movement. If a busy day on NY canals or Rideau we will deploy both sides. You never know when you need to switch from side to side or the lock tender will place a row of rafted boats up the center rafter to a boat on one side or the other.

Yes we also kept both sides fendered when we did any of the canals because you really don't have time to switch things around. We put them where they are needed and leave them.

 

[Shrew]

Like I said earlier... it depends very much on your situation and cruising style.
Last year on the Trent- Severn Waterway we hit a series of closely spaced locks where tie up alternated from port to stbd. Having lines & fenders out on both sides saved a lot of movement. If a busy day on NY canals or Rideau we will deploy both sides. You never know when you need to switch from side to side or the lock tender will place a row of rafted boats up the center rafter to a boat on one side or the other.

I honestly feel like we're almost agreeing. We keep a rack of two on the port side and a rack of two on the Stbd side, so that we don't need to run around switching sides with the fenders. If we needed fenders on both sides, two on each should do it (with properly sized fenders). Though more is better, but I don't like to store that many. We do keep a couple of poly balls up on the upper deck. In the lock example where you're rafted, we 'assume' those boats also have fenders.

If we're going a short distance from A -> B, (gas dock to marina; pump out or water dock to marina or raft) rather than unlash and move to the racks, we lash them exactly like you have shown, so that we can quickly re-deploy them.

 

[rslifkin]

If we're going a short distance from A -> B, (gas dock to marina; pump out or water dock to marina or raft) rather than unlash and move to the racks, we lash them exactly like you have shown, so that we can quickly re-deploy them.

On a short move like that, I typically leave mine attached to the rails and just flip them up and over onto the side decks. They stay just fine for a low speed run, although they're hard to step over, so you use the other side deck to get forward. Then when approaching, they just get tossed back over the side. I can't find a picture with them like this, however.

 

[Codger2]

After having to polish out "clouds" of minute gel-coat scratches in the hull, I decided to give fender covers a try. That was about 8 years ago. Result? No more "clouds" of gel-coat scratches

 

[oguidry]

You might want to look into TAYLOR MADE Big B Fender Hangers. They are designed to replace the knot at the end of the line for center tube fenders.

 

[psneeld]

After having to polish out "clouds" of minute gel-coat scratches in the hull, I decided to give fender covers a try. That was about 8 years ago. Result? No more "clouds" of gel-coat scratches



Most of the 8 years has been in brackish water. Fender covers get washed in a washing machine once per year. Additionally, some occasional scrub brush "washes" to clean off the worst from exceptionally slimy or gritty locks (where I generally use fender boards).

And some boaters have found the opposite.....where covers hold more abrasive particles than smooth fender sides....and thus the covers need constant washing or do without.

Guess you have to experiment for your own situation.